Hip-Hop and Rock Star Fashions

Not long after writing the last post, I found a great NY Times article (free registration required) on hip-hop/rock music stars (P. Diddy, Eve, Gwen Stefani, Beyonce, etc.) going into the fashion industry, and how they've fared. Celebrities and clothing lines are nothing new, but the latest rush to the runway was probably inspired by the success of Russell Simmons' Phat Fashions, founded in 1992.

"'Russell Simmons empowered an urban audience and authenticated the brand as a fashion name,' [Seth Siegel, licensing expert] said. By contrast, many of the celebrities signing up now 'are just fakes' he said, 'trying to piggyback on the success of others... Everyone is saying I want to be the next one in, but as with most gold-rush scenarios, it's the first ones who will make the money -- and there will be a lot of wreckage later, Mr. Siegel said."

Indeed, for every Sean John -- P. Diddy's clothing line which sold over $300 million of clothes last year -- there's a pile of Eminem or 50 Cent shirts and pants in a bargain bin. Fame is no guarantee of success... even for J. Lo.

"Mr. Siegel suggested it was a stretch for a singer and actress like Ms. Lopez to assume she could also be a fashion designer. 'What authority does she have about fashion?' he said. 'This is the nature of licensing in general: just because someone is an authority in their field - music, for instance - that doesn't mean their name is extendable.'"

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